[Domestic Church]

" So, the good precedents get overturned and the bad precedents are accepted as an accomodation. We continue to lose ground case by case."

And this parallels what I said about waging war as gents with the likes of socialism. It's as if the democrats are running through the woods with heavy artillery and our side is armed with badminton rackets and birdies. We will lose everything the founders fought for if we don't recognize we have to pick up equivalent or better artillery and if we don't recognize there are some rotten eggs within our side as well.

[ArneFufkin]

The GOP, and George W. Bush in particular, lack the party discipline to step up against "Saddened" Tom with any legitimacy. He'll get 47 votes on ANY measure the tong orders, regardless of the benefit/injury to any Democratic Senator's constituents. Zell Miller and Ben Nelson, two Governors of distinction and duty, are the only Dems who will cross Hillary/Daschele/Kennedy in that caucus. They are shunned, penalized and Miller said "Enough of dealing with this imperious group of pissants, it's watermelon time in Georgia." Nelson might hang it up too, he's an adult and he deals with Tom Daschele, the Peter Pan of political pathology.

No Republican pays when they go into business for themselves. Specter, Olympia, Chafee, McCain and sometimes Collins work the best deal for themselves, party be damned. Yet ... would Bush imagine blocking that New England Dairy Compact that Jeffords sold his soul to pimp? Would Arlen Specter or Lincoln Chafee be vigorously opposed by a primary challenge?

I ran into my Senator Norm Coleman at one of the Wild playoff games, and I've met him numerous times and I told him how proud I was watching him operate on the Floor and in Public appearances. Then I told him how disappointed I was that his vote defeated the ANWR drilling bill. I told him he betrayed the President, who needed a win badly at that time - he was under seige regarding Iraq etc - when Bush put his time, his support and his office behind Coleman's campaign. Bush won the day for Norm. Coleman said "I promised in the campaign ..." I said "Nobody who voted for you did it because of that pledge. In fact, 99% of your supporters would celebrate your policy reversal."

It's too common. These guys fear their local editorial boards and enviropsychotics more than they do the President, their Party apparatus or their voting constituency.

That lack of party discipline is probably admirable in a principled way, but it's a real deficit when the Democrats are fighting like Hamas bomb throwers who get their orders from Allah through some camel's butt.